Film and TV studio mogul Tyler Perry made his debut this week on the Forbes annual billionaires list at $1 billion. The mastermind behind productions such as “The Haves and Have Nots,” “Tyler Perry’s Sistas,” the “Madea” franchises, and many more is ranked at number 2,677.
Forbes revealed last year that Perry was “Hollywood’s newest billionaire,” following an extensive profile piece on his journey from homelessness to production powerhouse. At the time, the business magazine wrote, “He has honed a product that too many others viewed as destined for the discount bin. And he made sure to control it all.”
They added, “The 51-year-old entertainer owns the entirety of his creative output, including more than 1,200 episodes of television, 22 feature films, and at least two dozen stage plays, as well as a 330-acre studio lot at the edge of Atlanta’s southern limits. He used that control to leverage a deal with ViacomCBS that pays him $150 million a year for new content and gives him an equity stake in BET+, the streaming service it debuted last September. Forbes estimates Perry has earned more than $1.4 billion in pretax income since 2005, which he used to buy homes in Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles and Jackson Hole, Wyoming, as well as two planes.”
Perry’s assets include his library of movies, TV shows, plays he’s created, all of which he owns in their totality at an estimated $320 million. The star also has an estimated $300 million in cash and investments. His stake in BET+ is worth about $60 million, Tyler Perry Studio at` $280 million, and other assets, including homes and other items.
The “Alex Cross” star joins the list in its 35th year of publication alongside 493 first-time additions, including Kanye West, who came in at number 1,750 with $1.8 billion, and West’s estranged wife, Kim Kardashian. She came in at number 2,674 with $1 billion thanks to her mobile game, cosmetics, and most recently, shapewear line. Kanye’s fellow rapper Jay-Z, no newcomer to the list, placed at 2,141 with a net worth of $1.4 billion.
Perry made headlines earlier this week for another achievement. The director hosted a vaccination drive for his staff at his Georgia production company, along with all their friends and family who had not yet received the COVID-19 shot.
In partnership with Atlanta’s Grady Hospital, the star’s drive was able to get more than 250 people vaccinated. In a short clip from the event, Perry stating, “So people are excited and happy to get back to normal. My hope is that people would just get out and get the vaccine.”
